


treacherous

by doc_pickles, Odd_birds_and_booksellers



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Timeline, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, a taylor swift lyric for a title again? must be a day that ends in Y, self indulgent fic writing, this baby can fit so many tropes in it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:34:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28723686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doc_pickles/pseuds/doc_pickles, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Odd_birds_and_booksellers/pseuds/Odd_birds_and_booksellers
Summary: It’s a simple agreement: They spend one night pretending to be together and that’s it. But nothing is ever simple between Alex and Jo...
Relationships: Alex Karev/Jo Wilson
Comments: 14
Kudos: 56





	1. Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> Hello.... welcome back to Hell. Against both of our better judgments Lay and I have decided to start a new fic together. It’s gonna be cheesy and we’re gonna try to shove as many god damn tropes in here as we can. Anyways enjoy.  
> xoxo Nina

“Jo! Hey!”   
  
Inwardly cursing to herself, Jo turned to meet Isaac Cross who was jogging to catch up with her. She’d heard from a few of the other interns that he had been looking for her, but had been actively avoiding the younger man all day.

“Cross, what can I do for you?”   
  
“I was wondering if you wanted to go to Joe’s with me tonight,” Cross’s pale cheeks lit up with a blush as he asked Jo the question she’d been dreading for weeks on end. “I hear you’re great at darts.”

Jo held back the urge to roll her eyes knowing full well that he’d watched her like a hawk last time she’d gone to the bar with Leah and Stephanie. She’d known that eventually, Cross was going to make a move on her, it was only a matter of time. Now though as she was faced with the unwanted ask she found herself at a loss for words.

“Ummm well-”

“Or we could go out to dinner! If you didn’t want to go drinking.”   
  
“Listen, I-”

“I’m a really good bowler too, we could go to the bowling alley! I’d love to show off my skills to y-”

“I have a boyfriend,” shocked at her own outburst, Jo’s eyes widened as she took in Cross’s crestfallen expression. “I would love to go out with you but I can’t. Because I’m going out with my boyfriend tonight. To Joe’s. Sorry.”   
  
“Oh… Okay,” Jo heaved a sigh of relief at Cross’s easy acceptance of her white lie. “Well I’ll see you there I guess. I think DeLuca wanted to go so maybe I’ll go play a few rounds of darts with him. See you later Jo.”   
  
Cross walked off, Jo watching him carefully before heaving a deep sigh. She hated lying to the poor kid but going on a date with him was at the bottom of her to-do list. Turning to get back to the task she was trying to do before bumping into him, Jo ran straight into a hard chest, a pair of hands reaching out to grab her arms as she lost her footing. 

“Watch out there princess, you’re gonna put someone in a cast running around like that,” Jo rolled her eyes as she realized who the person that she’d run into was. “What’re you running from anyway?”   
  
Pushing herself out of Alex’s grasp, Jo let a frown play onto her face, “Cross, that kid will not take a freaking hint.”   
  
“Oh yeah he definitely wants to get into your panties,” Alex chuckled, Jo’s hand immediately coming up to smack his chest. “What? I’m right, aren’t I? They’re nice panties, I don’t blame him.”

While Jo knew Alex was just joking with her, the remark brought a tint of red to her cheeks. She’d spent many nights drinking with Alex, the two always dissolving into fits of laughter or getting into drunken shenanigans. With the time they spent together Jo had spent more than her fair share of nights crashing on Alex’s couch, usually clad in an oversized shirt of his and on the receiving end of his sly comments. More than once she’d thought something more would develop between them but every time the small spark that they shared would fizzle out.

“Keep talking about my panties at work and people are gonna get the wrong idea,” Jo raised her eyebrows, poking her own fun at Alex who merely scoffed at her. “Well, I’m off to round on post-ops. You wanna hang out later? I’ll bring beer and pizza.”   
  
“Don’t forget the sausage this time,” Alex smirked as he walked away from Jo. She watched him for a moment before walking off to her own destination, heart stuttering from her brief interaction with Alex.

-

“Okay I know that you’re still somewhat pissed at me for waiting so long to tell you about Jackson but the fact that I had to find out about your boy toy or whoever from Cross of all people is just insulting,” Jo looked up from tying her sneakers to Stephanie who had just walked into the locker room. Brows furrowed, she met her friend’s eyes as she tried to figure out what the other woman was talking about. “Oh don’t play dumb with me Jo, Cross told me that you turned him down to go out with your boyfriend tonight and asked me for the dirty details. Except I couldn’t tell him because I didn’t even know you were seeing someone. It’s all he could talk about in the cafeteria, I think half the damn interns and residents know already.”   
  
_ Oh fuck.  _ Jo hadn’t anticipated Cross running his mouth about the innocent lie she’d told him earlier, but she really wasn’t all that shocked now that she thought about it. The guy was practically obsessed with her, of course he’d want to know about her supposed boyfriend. 

“Listen Steph-”

“Hey you ready to go,” both Jo and Stephanie turned to the door of the locker room, taking in the sight of none other than Alex Karev leaning against the doorframe. Jo cursed under her breath as she peeked at Stephanie whose eyebrows had disappeared into her hairline. 

“We will definitely talk about this later,” Jo jumped from her seat next to her friend, grabbing her bag as she hurried out of the room. “I’ll see you later Steph!” 

Jo grabbed Alex’s arm, pulling him away from the locker room and into the first empty on call room she could find. She knew he was staring her down, wondering what she was doing but she couldn’t pay him any mind while her head was reeling. 

She had fucked up. Big time. If she’d told Steph about her white lie to Cross then she wouldn’t be where she was currently. Honestly if she’d just turned down Cross like a normal person she would be just fine, but her brain had short circuited and she’d told him she had a boyfriend which she most certainly did not. 

“Hey stop pacing, you’re gonna wear a hole in the floor,” Alex settled a hand onto Jo’s shoulder, meeting her eyes as she stopped moving. “What’s up? Did you and Edwards have a fight or something?”

“No. Well not exactly. I just… when I was trying to get Cross to leave me alone this morning I accidentally told him that I had a boyfriend and I couldn’t meet up with him because my imaginary boyfriend and I were going to Joe’s tonight,” Jo groaned, averting her eyes from Alex’s intense gaze as she prattled on. “And I didn’t tell Steph so she heard it from Cross who apparently told everyone with a pulse that I have a boyfriend and now she’s mad because I didn’t tell her.”

Alex silently processes what Jo said before rolling his eyes with a huff, “And I’m assuming since I just came by to get you that she’s gonna go out and tell everyone that I’m the mysterious boyfriend you’re talking about.”

“Oh shit. Shit shit shit,” Jo began to pace again, her heart hammering loudly as she tried to think of a way out of the messy situation she’d found herself in. “Damn it why did I even talk to that little psychopath intern. I swear I’m gonna-”

“Calm down there feisty,” Alex braced both hands on Jo’s shoulders, their eyes meeting again. The action calmed Jo slightly as she took a deep breath. “We’ll go to Joe’s, I’ll pretend to be your boyfriend, and then in a few days you can tell Edwards we had a huge fight and broke up.” 

Jo blinked up at Alex in confusion, eyes scanning his face for any sign that he was pulling a prank on her. She hadn’t meant to ask that of him, but now that he was offering the solution seemed perfect. She’d get Steph and Cross off of her case and in a few days she’d be able to relieve Alsx of his duties. It was an infallible plan. 

“C’mon, before I change my mind and realize that this is a horrible idea,” before she can respond, Alex has her hand in his and is dragging her out the door of the on call room. She can’t help the hammering of her heart as they make their way to Joe’s, but she knows that it’s not from nerves about their situation. No, the unsteady beat of her heart is due solely to Alex Karev and his hand pressed tightly into hers. 


	2. Tell Your Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. I dunno what I’m doing. Enjoy. Lay

Joe’s is a little busier than it normally is for a Thursday night as Alex scans the room for a free table, spotting only one, a few seats down from the dartboard that is already occupied by a group of interns, including the milky bar kid who was all googly eyes for Jo. He felt kinda bad for the kid. really I mean to even believe for a second he’d have a chance with a girl like Jo he had to be delusional.

Speaking of Jo, her hand was still firmly holding on to his, a little clammier now as her eyes darted nervously around the room. There was already a few heads turning to face them and Alex knew there was no going back now as he pushes through the crowded bar, heading towards the table, dragging Jo along behind him as more eyes around the room fell to their intertwined hands. 

“People are staring…” Jo hisses as they reach the table, her eyes widening as Alex makes a show of pulling out her chair for her. 

“So what?” He shrugs, as he plops down into the seat opposite her ignoring her confused frown. “You wanted a fake boyfriend...I can be a fake boyfriend.”

“Say it a little louder I don’t think everyone at the bar heard you.”

“You wanted a fa-” He starts raising his voice as she reaches over the table in a flash, clapping her hand over his mouth, which only makes him smirk in response. “Will you calm down?”

Jo rolls her eyes at him, but as she leans back in her chair that bright smile takes over her face and his heart does that stupid flippy thing it does everything her eyes light up when looking at him. She leans in closer about to respond when all of sudden a shadow crosses the table, making them both lookup. 

“Hey, Jo...Dr Karev.” The blonde intern nods towards Jo, gulping slighting as he offers Alex a friendly smile that is not reciprocated. “I didn’t know you two were dating.”

“Well...it’s sort of new….” Jo mumbles nervously brushing a hand through her hair and Alex isn’t sure how she could lie so easily to get into surgery but now she couldn’t even string a sentence together. 

“Yeah it’s really new…” Alex adds sending Jo a wink as she reaches across the table for her hand. “Like seconds-” He’s cut off once again by Jo, this time her foot makes contact with his shin as she sends daggers his way before looking up at the intern.

“Well, here I am...with my boyfriend. Alex...Dr Karev, my boyfriend Dr Karev.” Jo rambles awkwardly, her eyes darting between to two and Alex has to stifle a laugh as he watches blondie deflate. Well, that didn’t take much convincing at all. Maybe that’s the end of him fawning all over Jo like a lost puppy, Alex was sure he was harmless if he had thought any different he would’ve intervened a long time ago. 

An awkward silence falls between the three of them before Cross finally breaks away, stumbling backwards as he makes an excuse about heading back to his group and Alex watches as Jo lets out a relieved breath, letting go of his hand as she wipes her forehead, and he’s surprised by how much he misses having her hand in his. They weren’t really touchy-feely friends so this was all new for him. 

“Well it's at least that’s over with...he believes us.” She sighs.

“Yeah no really thanks to you there.” 

“What is that-”

“Oh hey...if it isn’t the new couple.” Looking up Alex spots Jackson and Steph heading towards their table. He hears Jo mumble a couple of swear words under her breath as she lowers herself down her in her seat, pointless considering they’d already seen the both of them. It was one thing convincing Cross but Stephanie and Jackson? That was a whole nother level. They weren't gonna just take his and Jo’s word for it. 

“Hey Man” Jackson nods towards Alex as they reach the table, and Alex just nods back as Steph shoots Jo a look, gesturing her to move over to the seat beside him so presumably she and Jackson could sit together. “Steph just told me you’re dating Wilson? Alex Karev in an actual relationship? That’s something I just had to see with my own eyes.” Jackson smirks as he slides into the seat opposite him, something in his eye letting Alex know he was already on to their ruse. Like he couldn’t even believe for a second Alex was capable of being in a serious relationship. Alex wasn’t sure why the thought made his insides twist as he felt Jo’s warm body slide up beside him, his arm instinctively reaching out to wrap around her keeping up pretences. 

“Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either…” Says Steph as she flags down a waitress. 

“Yeah well, here we are.” Jo laughs, her voice sounding way too high pitched to be believable. “Us, Me and Alex...dating.”

The waitress appears and for a second the attention is off them. Alex takes the moment to lean in close to Jo, he’s not used to being so close, well not intentionally anyway, and the scent of her vanilla shampoo sends his mind spinning for a second. “Relax…” He whispers as he feels her shiver leaning in closer to his touch. 

Any hope Alex had of navigating the conversation away from them fades the minute the waitress steps away and Steph's eyes narrow in on them. “So how did this happen?”

“Oh you know...just the other week we were hanging out and erm…” Jo stumbles on her words and he knows it’s time to interject before her lying gets any worse. 

“One thing leads to another if you get me.” Alex jokes before he feels a sharp elbow to the ribs as he tries to keep a straight face. “Ow...well Jo spends most of her time at my house it just sort of developed.” The corners of his mouth twitch upward as he continues. “I came home late one-night last week. Jo was dancing around the kitchen in one of my shirts listening to Hot Blooded and I thought any girl who likes Foreigner is my kind of girl.” Alex smirks ignoring the way Jo’s eyes snap to him. That story was half true, he had come home to her dancing around after she’d kicked ass in Ortho that day, but he’d laughed and joined in for a dance (air guitar battle) before they’d both gone to bed. Alone. 

“So you’re dating? Really dating? Not just sleeping together.” Jackson queries as the waitress sets down a round of beers for them all. 

Alex nods squeezing Jo’s waist. “Yeah...really dating.”

“Cool.”

* * *

Jo seems to calm in his arms as the evening goes on, maybe it’s the couple of beers she downs but Alex can’t help but note how comfortable it feels to have her beside him, leaning into him as she laughs along with whatever story Jackson’s telling. 

“You ready to go?” He whispers against her neck as he watches her eyes droop. She mumbles a yes as Alex stands keeping a firm grip around Jo’s waist as they mutter a goodbye to their friends. 

When they reach the car park he lets go of Jo immediately, needing some space, finding it hard to think properly with her so close as he takes a few steps back. “Well thank god that’s over right?” Alex chuckles, for a second he’s so sure he sees flash hurt through Jo’s eyes as she steps away rubbing her hands up and down her arms as she lets out a half-laugh in response. He shoves his hand in his pocket, a lame attempt to stop the way he’s itching to hold her again. 

“Yeah...thank god.”

“All we need to do know is fake a breakup...shouldn’t be to hard right?”


	3. anything could happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hello i’m on a beach but I knew y’all needed something on this beautiful sunday. enjoy.   
> xoxo nina

Jo doesn’t protest when Alex drives straight to his house instead of hers, the pattern of leaving Joe’s and going home together so familiar that she doesn’t even realize there’s a layer of tension between them. It’s not until they’re standing on the porch and Alex is fumbling with his keys that she thinks to speak up.

“Thank you, for doing that for me,” Jo’s words make Alex pause in his search for his house key, eyes staring at her through the growing darkness. She’s thankful for the cover of night because she knows her own cheeks are lit up with a bright blush. “You really didn’t have to stick your neck out for me like that. I’m just… Thank you.”

Alex nods, his crooked grin gracing his face as he met Jo’s eyes, “No problem. Excited to see what fake fight you have planned for our breakup.”

Rolling her eyes, Jo followed Alex into the house as he unlocked the door. The snide comment she was ready to spit out died on her tongue as arms wrapped around her waist, Alex’s chest pressing against hers as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. 

“Yang’s in the living room, she’s been blowing up my phone all night because Avery told her we’re an item,” Alex’s breath against the soft skin of her neck made Jo’s eyes flutter closed, her fingers easily intertwining with his when they reached for her. “Just follow my lead, maybe laugh at me and act like you actually think my jokes are funny.”

A combination of a laugh and a snort escapes Jo then, her free hand coming up to smack the back of Alex’s head as her eyes snap open. When he lifts his head from its position on her shoulder they lock eyes for a moment. Their hands are still intertwined, a whole conversation happening just between the looks they give each other. They’re snapped out of their momentary daze by a loud groan. 

“Are you two being disgusting over there? Honestly I thought I’d have to wait a few days before suffering through whatever gross honeymoon phase you’re going through,” Jo peeks over Alex’s shoulder to see Cristina craning her neck to get a good look at them. Jo melts herself into Alex’s touch a bit more, feeling Yang’s curious gaze on them. “Please tell me you aren’t going upstairs to have loud annoying sex. I have an early surgery tomorrow.”

Jo’s heart stutters at Yang’s suggestion, the realization dawning on her that to keep up their appearances she’d probably have to sleep in Alex’s bedroom tonight. Thankfully his brain caught up faster than hers did, voice bringing her out of her thoughts as his arm moved back to her waist, “We’ll try and be quiet just for you Yang. No promises though.”

Alex pulled Jo up the stairs without another word, the two breathlessly stumbling into his bedroom. Truthfully Jo had only been in the room once and she’d been so drunk she hadn’t really taken in her surroundings. Now though she took in the sparse furnishings and the scent that wafted through the air. It was distinctly Alex, a mix of spiced body wash and fresh laundry soap that she’d gotten used to after nights of drinking beer with him. 

“Sorry about that, I didn’t expect her to be home,” Alex groaned as he stepped fully into the room, his fingers slowly releasing Jo’s. He busied himself with rummaging around in his dresser while she leaned against the doorframe watching intently. “She’s always on my case about who I’m screwing like it impacts her freaking life. And yet I never say a damn word about her and Hunt sounding like animals every time he’s here.” 

Jo watched as Alex pulled out a shirt and boxers and handed them to her. She recognized the shirt immediately, it was the Iowa State wrestling shirt that she usually wore whenever she stayed over. She grabbed the clothes gratefully, walking silently into the bathroom as Alex continued to rummage through his drawers. 

Heaving a deep breath, Jo pressed her back against the bathroom door and attempted to calm her rapid heart beat. When the small flame that her and Alex shared had sparked up before it was always because they’d had too much to drink and started asking each other personal questions or they’d accidentally brushed against one another. Tonight though every action that has sent her head spinning was intentional. From Alex pulling her into Joe’s with his hand clasped around her much smaller one to the way he so casually threw his arm around her shoulders while they drank beer to his body pressed against hers downstairs as his hot breath fanned across her skin… Her whole body was on fire just thinking about Alex’s skin on her own. 

Changing quickly into the clothes Alex had handed her Jo splashed some water on her face and shook her hair out of the ponytail it had been in most of the day. Feeling her exhaustion creep back in she trudged back into the bedroom, watching as Alex pulled the covers on his bed into place. His eyes flitted to her as soon as she stepped into the room, taking her in for a moment before speaking. 

“I hope you don’t mind sleeping up here. With Yang and everything I just thought it might be easier,” Alex met her gaze for a second before turning back to fix the pillows on the bed. “It’s a big bed, I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

“I’m not worried about you,” Jo rolled her eyes, slipping under the covers and grinning up at Alex. “Besides, if you get too close I’ll just push you off the edge.”

Alex disappeared into the bathroom, giving Jo a much needed moment to collect herself. On a list of things she’d been anticipating tonight, sharing a bed with Alex while wearing his clothes was not on her agenda. Pushing herself to the far side of the bed, she let her breaths steady as she quickly fell into a deep sleep. She barely registered Alex climbing in on the other side of the bed, mumbling a goodnight as he turned the lights off and a comfortable silence fell over them. 

-

“Jo Wilson you’re unbelievable!”

Startled at the sound of Steph's voice, Jo turned in surprise as her friend entered the locker room. Steph sat next to her on the bench, eyebrows raised as she stared at her with an amused expression. 

“I cannot believe you’re dating  Alex Karev  and you didn’t tell me! Especially after you judged me for dating Jackson,” Steph’s hand came up to smack her shoulder, a blush forming on Jo’s cheek as she avoided her friend's gaze. “So tell me… How’s Karev in bed?”

“Ew! Steph! I am not telling you,” Jo scoffed, leaning over to tie her shoes. “I don’t ask you for details about your sex life.”

Truthfully though, all Jo could think about was Alex in bed. Well… not like that. More along the lines of how when she’d woken up that morning to leave for work she’d found herself wrapped tightly in his arms with her face pressed against his bare chest. The position had done nothing to help ease the burning she had felt since the night before, neither had Alex’s discontented groans when she finally pulled herself away from his grasp to get dressed. 

Trying to block out the feel of Alex’s strong arms around her waist, Jo contemplated what kind of disagreement her and Alex could get into that would lead to their fake breakup. She didn’t want to damage either of their reputations but she also wanted to make things sound believable when the rumor mill started spinning again. 

“Suit yourself, I’m sure with the way that man’s libido is built you’re more than satisfied,” Steph shrugged as she began to change into her scrubs, Jo standing and checking her hair in the mirror. “I can’t say I’m too shocked though, you and Karev make a good team. I always thought you had some kind of chemistry but I knew you’d probably slap me if I said anything about it. I’m just happy you’re happy.”

She’d tell Steph after their shift about her and Alex’s ‘argument’ that would lead to their breakup. For now she’d let her selfish desires take the reigns, indulging the prodding questions Steph asked as they headed off towards rounds with a slew of made up answers. A few hours of fun couldn’t hurt anyone, right? 


	4. Talk Too Much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't...I don't even have an excuse. It's late and cringey. At least I'm self-aware.
> 
> Talk Too Much - COIN

Alex shook himself out of his current daydream as one of the interns waves a hand down in front of him. He’d hadn’t been able to focus properly all day, it was a miracle he’d even made it through surgery, every time he blinked his mind flashed back to this morning, the way his body had been wrapped around Jo’s holding her tightly against his chest. He couldn’t explain it, he just felt content for those few minutes before she’d slipped away, everything was okay it was better than okay it was good even. 

He shakes himself out of his thoughts once again, ordering the intern to follow up on his posts ops as he feels his phone buzz, pulling it out he sees several texts from Jo that he must have missed during surgery lighting up on the screen, each one more detailing how he should start to convince people they were on the rocks. 

Flirt with someone...ask them out. He could do that. He did it all the time, it was easy. Well at least it used to be, right now the thought had a pit forming in his stomach. He felt his phone buzz again as he slipped into his pocket, he had to shake off this feeling and quickly. The sooner they broke up the better he thought as he headed down toward the attending lounge in the search for his friends. Time to start the rumour mill. 

* * *

“Wait Alex and who?”

“Hairball...she’s the one Owen..you know.” Cristina laughed as mimed squeezing her own boobs. 

Meredith rolled her eyes as she leaned forward acutely aware they weren’t alone as she eyes Bailey and Avery from across the room. “So what? He’s dating Wilson? How come I didn’t know this?”

“Beats me.” Cristina shrugs. “All I know is she’s been hanging around the house a lot...walking around in his clothes and he’s been all smiley and smitten, really gross and unKarev like.” Cristina wrinkles her nose at the thought. “They came back yesterday all feely touchy kinda made me wanna vomit.”

“They can’t be dating, Alex would’ve told me.”

“They are,” Avery interjects from where he had been sitting on the sofa across the room, making both doctors narrow their eyes on him, not appreciating the interruption in their private conversation as he drops the magazine he’d been reading down onto the coffee table.

“You know as well? You?” Meredith's questions frowning as she watches Jackson push off the sofa, sliding into the chair beside her as he nods casually. 

“Saw them at Joe’s yesterday. Karev and Wilson were all secret glances, practically eye-fucking like no one could see them.” He shudders at the thought while Cristina smiles smugly. 

“What are we talking about people?” Bailey grumbles looking up from her seat as her pager rings out.

“Karev’s dating life.” 

“$50 they don’t make it a week.” Cristina leans across the table ignoring the way Bailey huffs as she shakes her head exiting the room as she offers her hand out to Avery. 

“Cristina,” Meredith warns. 

Jackson just smirks. Ignoring the look Meredith shoots them both as he takes Cristina's hand. “I’ll take that bet, I reckon at least a month.”

Meredith leant across the table swiping at Cristina’s elbow who just shrugs as she leans back in her chair. “What? it’s Alex. Yes, he’s our friend but he’s also hopeless…$100 rich boy and you’re on.”

“Let’s make it interesting for $1000.”

“What are you betting on?” Meredith groans as Alex plops down beside her grabbing an apple from her plate as he looks between the three who’ve all grown conspicuously quiet since he entered. 

“Nothing.” - “You and Wilson.” Cristina and Meredith answered in unison. 

“Cristina.” Meredith hisses, before twisting around in her seat to face Alex. “How come you never mentioned you were dating Wilson?” 

Alex grimaces as he chews on his apple, he really didn’t see the big deal. This hospital had more hookups then patients, and he had his fair share of hospital hookups. He didn’t see why it was such a shock really. “You’re betting on me and Jo?”

“Yeah, Avery here reckons you’ll at least last till the end of the month.”

“Seriously?”

Jackson just shrugs sheepishly. “Thought I was being generous, to be honest.”

Alex scoffs, pushing his chair back. “Like your relationship status is so much better than mine, you are sleeping around with your husband who’s not your husband but is and you, you ruined Virgin Mary and now you mope around with a resident pretending you’re not into her still.”

He wasn’t sure why he was offended after all him and Jo weren’t really dating. If anything they’re right, he and Jo wouldn’t last week, they weren't even meant to last the day.

“Alex…”

“Don’t get me started on you.” He snaps as Meredith shuts her mouth knowing better than to argue with Alex when he’s in a mood, deciding it was best to wait for him to calm down as she shifts back down into her seat. Letting him storm away only to hear the sound of his footsteps returning seconds later. 

“What?”

“I want in on the bet.” He spits offering his hand out to Yang. “Me and Jo, we will last longer than a month.” 

“You’re on.” Cristina nods as Alex shakes Avery's hand as well before turning on his heel to leave. 

He had to find Jo and fast before she told everyone what an unforgivable jerk he was.

He spots her near the cafeteria leaning against the wall, Cross hovering to close for Alex’s comfort. Clearly, yesterday hadn’t quite done the trick. Alex moved in closer instantly wrapping an arm around Jo’s waist, he could feel her tense up against him, looking up startled before relaxing once she realised it was him. “Hey you’re not still hitting on my girl are you?”

The intern blushes, his face reddening as he drops his gaze to the floor. “No, absolutely not...Dr Karev.” He fumbles a vague excuse as Alex continues to stare him down. “I was just…”

“Just?” 

“Just telling Jo she looked nice today.” 

Alex nods looking down at Jo who had wrapped her arm around his waist in return, leaning further into him. Her hair was up out of her face and she looked a little worn out but she was still easily one of the prettiest women Alex had ever seen. “She looks beautiful Cross, not nice…” Alex corrects as Jo turns her head up to him, a slight smirk playing on her face as she raises one eyebrow, questioning his choice of words. “She is beautiful.”

Cross just nods muttering how he agreed, before jerking his hand back gesturing towards the elevators. “I should…” 

“If you wouldn’t mind…” 

“Beautiful? Alex, what the hell are you?” Jo starts the minutes Cross is out of earshot, her smiley demeanour gone in a flash as she narrows her eyes at him. Alex groans looking around, there are too many people he thinks as he intertwines their hands dragging her towards the closest supply closet. “What the hell Alex we had a plan?”

“Yeah well, plans changed.”

“What? What does that mean?”

“It means Yang bet Avery $1000 we wouldn’t last the week.”

Jo scoffs crossing her arms over her chest. “Lucky Yang, she's about to win big then.”

Alex shoves his hands into his pocket as he lets out a dry laugh, “Well no because I bet them both we’d last a month.”

He watches as Jo recoils, a look of disbelief as she meets his eyes. “A month? A month Alex what the hell?”

“Hey, I helped you when you asked.”

“I didn’t ask, you just did it you idiot, one day was bad enough there’s no way in hell we can do this for a month, I mean me and you seriously.” She hisses, raising her voice slightly as he shoves against his chest lightly stepping away from him, moving to lean against the opposite wall. 

“Calm down princess okay?”

“Don’t call me princess and don’t tell me to calm down. I can’t believe you. I mean we had a plan, a solid plan. One that worked and now and now…”

“We’re gonna win a thousand dollars,” Alex smirks, raising an eyebrow to Jo as he moves closer until he's leaning against the wall beside her. “Look I’ll share the winnings with you 50/50.”

“70/30.”

“60/40.”

“Deal.” Jo relents, shaking his hand. Alex smirks, pulling her a little bit closer until his arms wrap around her waist. They’re alone, there's no need for a show and he knows that but he can't seem to stop himself. “We can do this, we’ll hang out like usual. So what? you have to hold my hand some of the time. It'll be fine, we’re doctors, we’re busy there’s not gonna be that many times we have to play pretend.”

“Yeah except you live with Yang.” 

“Please Yang will be so sick of us after one day she’ll stay clear…”

He’s cut off as his ears prick at the sound of the door handle being wiggled. 

“Fine but…” before Alex can even think he’s pressing Jo up against the wall, she begins to protest as the muffled sounds of the hallway fill the room. The door swings open just as his lips connect with her neck. He’s not sure what he’s thinking as he hears a startled gasp and Jo’s hands coming up to clutch tightly at his lab coat. 

“Oh...I’m not interrupting anything am I?” It’s Stephanie standing in the doorway, a triumphant smirk on her face, clearly, she had a good idea of what she’d just walked in on. 

“No...we were just grabbing some supplies,” Alex mumbles as he pulls back grabbing whatever item was closest to them. 

Stephanie just laughs, shaking her head as she steps back shutting the door but not before she winked at the pair. “Yeah if that’s what you wanna call it.”

Jo sighs as the door clicks shut, pushing lightly at Alex’s chest and it takes him a second to realise they’re still standing so close. “Alex….”

It takes him a second to refocus, his heart thumping hard in his chest as he flicks his gaze down from her eyes to her lips, swallowing deeply as he pushes back the temptation to close the gap between them. “erm...Yeah?”

“If we lose this bet, you still owe me my cut.”


	5. Mad Sounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hello can y’all believe that I’m the one that was procrastinating and not Lay??? Anyways I hope y’all enjoy this, I used the half a brain cell I have left to write it.   
> xoxo Nina

“Hey you wanna get Chinese or pizza tonight? You’re the picky one so I figured I’d ask you,” Jo almost jumped as Alex’s arm slid around her waist, the movement still a shock to her even after a week of their ‘relationship’. “If you’re really nice today I’ll let you sleep on the right side of the bed tonight.”

“I’ll sleep on the left, you just have to deal with me elbowing you in the stomach when I get up to pee,” Jo smirked as she looked up at Alex. Over the past week she’d found it increasingly hard to slow her heart down whenever they met each other’s gaze. Shaking off the feeling she turned back to the chart in her hand. “Is Yang home tonight?”

Alex shrugged as he grabbed the chart from Jo’s hands, reading it as he held it out of reach from her, “Dunno, she’s not exactly forthcoming on details. I thought you ran labs on the Perera kid again?”

“I did those are the new labs,” Jo grabbed for the chart once again, Alex using his free hand to keep her away. “They didn’t show any change, I think you should switch his medication.”

“Would you two stop being disgusting? Some of us are trying to practice medicine here,” both Alex and Jo turned abruptly at the sound of Cristina’s voice “Speaking of, how come I never hear you two going at it? I’ve just been assuming that Evil Spawn here has performance issues since his conquests before you have all been… What’s the word? Annoyingly vocal about their pleasure. Or maybe one of you isn't as good of a lay as you think you are. Hairball, you aren't one of those girls that just lays there and takes it are you? It’s either that or you two haven't consummated your relationship which is almost more disturbing th-”

“That’s enough from you,” Alex grimaced as he cut Cristina off. “Not that it’s any of your business but our sex life is just fine. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have tiny human lives to save.”

Alex steered Jo away from Cristina, dragging her into an on call room around the corner. Both of them released a deep breath as their eyes met, a small grin forming on Jo’s face, “We are  _ so _ screwed.” 

Shaking his head a loud laugh slipped from Alex’s lips, the sound echoing around them as Jo joined in, “We’re definitely screwed.” 

+

The day flew by almost too quickly for Jo, her leg nervously bouncing as Alex drove towards his house. She didn’t know why she was so on edge, they’d hung out together countless times in the past few weeks and even before that. But it wasn’t Alex that made her nervous, no it was  _ Yang.  _ It was the serious faced doctor who made Jo worry about what the night ahead held for them. 

“Would you calm down? Yang doesn’t actually give a shit about what we’re doing, she’s just trying not to lose this ridiculous bet,” Alex nudged Jo’s shoulder lightly as he turned onto his street. “Besides, what's she gonna do? Barge into my room to try and catch us?” 

“You think she’d do that?!”

“No, now stop overthinking it,” Alex turned to Jo as he pulled into the driveway, resting one hand on her shoulder. “Even if she does figure things out and we lose, I told you I’d still give you your cut.” 

Jo nodded, an attempt to convince her brain that losing out on the cash from their bet was the reason she was so on edge. She didn’t let herself dwell on the subject anymore as she grabbed the box of pizza and followed Alex up the front steps. 

“I have a pyloric stenosis repair tomorrow at noon if you wanna scrub in. You were pretty good on the last one,” Alex’s nonchalant attitude almost shocked Jo. She’d been on his service a lot lately but it still took her by surprise whenever he paid her compliments on her surgical skills. 

“Yes! Absolutely. I mean I’m definitely available,” Jo grinned, trying to match Alex’s relaxed attitude about the situation. “Thanks for thinking of me.”

“Please you’re all I think about, Princess.”

Breath hitching in her throat, Jo did her best to avoid eye contact with Alex as his words settled around them. She busied herself with setting the pizza on the counter and grabbing plates for them as her mind took in exactly what he had said. She wasn’t going to say it but Alex was all  _ she  _ could think about as well. Brushing the comment off Jo grabs two slices of pizza and offers them to Alex who hands her a beer in exchange for the plate. 

“It’s so tense in here it feels like my great Uncle Abraham’s funeral,” Jo and Alex looked up as the silence in the kitchen was broken by Cristina’s entrance. Both of them watched as she grabbed a beer from between them, her eyes shifting to each before speaking. “Is this what happens when you stop having sex? Cause I don’t want it.” 

Alex let out a frustrated groan of disapproval, slamming his beer down on the counter as he matched gazes with Cristina, “Would you stay out of my love life? You’ve been hounding me for the past week and I’m freaking sick of it!”

Jo’s eyebrows shot up, not knowing that Cristina’s teasing and prodding had been going on since before their run in this morning. The other woman looked like she was going to say something to Alex’s outburst, but he quickly stood before she could interject. 

“Just to get you to shut the hell up I’m going upstairs to have loud obnoxious orgasm inducing sex with my girlfriend,” before she could protest or even process Alex’s claim, Jo was letting a shriek out as he threw her over his shoulder and began to leave the kitchen. “Break out your earplugs Yang! This is payback for those horrendous animal noises you and Hunt make.”

Cristina shouted out a protest to Alex’s promise, but Jo could barely hear it as he climbed up the stairs with her still thrown over his shoulder. When they finally reached Alex’s room, he quickly kicked the door shut and set her down on his bed. 

“Sorry, she’s been on my ass all week and I just got fed up,” Jo watched as Alex took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t think anything can match those animal noises though.”

A laugh bubbled up from Jo as she took in Alex’s nervous state. His eyes narrowed in her direction as uncontrollable laughter continued. 

“You know this isn’t funny, she’s gonna rat us out and then what are you gonna do,” Alex furrowed his brows as Jo’s laughter finally died down. 

“I’ve got a plan, trust me on this one,” Jo grinned, taking in Alex’s confused expression. “Just make sure the door is locked.”

Giving her one more cursory glance, Alex turned to lock his bedroom door while Jo removed her shoes and stood on his mattress. When he turned around, his eyebrows shot up at the sight of Jo standing on his bed, “What the hell are you doing?””

“I told you to trust me,” Jo’s grin widened as she began to jump on the mattress. “C'mon! There’s a thousand bucks on the line here!” 

Jo continued to jump on the mattress, watching as Alex groaned and finally relented to her idea. Quickly kicking his shoes off Alex joined Jo on top of the bed, jumping just as she was. 

“Now you really gotta sell it,” Jo winked at Alex before she raised her voice to a scream. “Oh yeah! Yes! Oh god!”

“What the hell are you doing,” Jo tried her best to stifle her laughter as Alex stared incredulously at her. She let out a loud and long moan as she looked at him, taking delight in the way his jaw dropped. “You’re insane! You’re actually crazy!”

“Would you shut up,” Jo whacked Alex’s arm as she lowered her voice to a whisper. “I’m trying to save your ass too! Now start moaning or I'll slap you again!” 

There was only a moment of hesitation from Alex before he joined in with Jo’s ridiculous moans and groans, both of them failing to fight back the smiles forming on their faces. Jo threw in a few good slaps against the wall, exaggerating her moans as she did so, “Ohhhh god, yes Alex! Right there! Ohhh Alex!”

As soon as his name left her mouth, Alex’s eyes darkened and Jo watched in fascination as his jumping and animalistic noises from his mouth died down. A sly grin formed on her cheeks as she slowed her own jumping, meeting Alex’s eyes, “What? You like that?”

The next squeal that left Jo was a surprised one as Alex took her hands in his and pinned them against the wall. Their uneven breathing meshed together as their eyes locked, chests heaving as they both took in what was happening. 

“No I just… You caught me off guard,” Alex’s breath fanned over Jo’s cheeks as she held his stare, eyes unwilling to blink as she savored the feeling of his fingers squeezing her wrists and feeling the trembling pulse beneath them. “Sorry I…”

There’s a split second where Jo’s unsure if Alex is going to lean down and kiss her or not before he leans away and begins to jump on the bed again. Alex seems to double his efforts on making noise, leaving her to quickly join in as they both shared a smile and made ridiculous sounds. 

-

There’s a buzzing in her ears as she stands in front of her open locker, something low and almost disconcerting that hums just louder than the normal chaos of the locker room. Her eyes stay trained on her phone, the text message that had just popped up glowing brightly before her. 

“Wilson! Wilson!”

Finally Jo snaps out of her trance, eyes moving from her phone to Meredith Grey who’s standing next in the doorway of the now empty locker room staring her down. She shakes her head and closes the locker, wordlessly following after the attending who had been waiting for her. 

“We have an incoming case downstairs. Are you good to go?”

Jo nodded, finally exercising her voice as the two boarded the elevator, “Yes more than ready Doctor Grey.”

“Good, we have a DV case,” Meredith handed the tablet in her hand to Jo, motioning to the file that she’d pulled up. “Madeline Chester, 29. Seattle PD brought her and her four year old daughter in after they arrested her husband. Think you can handle it?” 

Eyes scanning the chart before her, Jo noticed the multiple hospital admissions for broken arms, fractured ribs, and facial contusions over the past three years. A swell of nausea rose in her throat at the sight. She nodded quietly to Meredith as she handed the chart back, quickly exiting the elevator and heading towards the ER. 

“I assume you know that this is a delicate situation… emotional,” Meredith looked briefly to Jo who just nodded. “Good. I’m not great with emotions and what not but I know what  _ not  _ to say. And you’re one of the smarter ones of the bunch so I assume you know too.”

The pair arrived in Trauma 2, both taking in the sight of the shaking and scared woman sitting on the bed. Meredith began assessing her, asking routine questions and letting her know exactly what she was doing before she did it. 

Jo tried to move from her spot in the doorway but her feet wouldn’t budge. As she stared at Madeline she didn’t see the shaking blonde, instead she saw a scared and confused brunette, a few years younger with a swollen cheek and a broken wrist. Try as she might to see a patient all Jo could see at the moment was herself laying in a hospital bed. 

Quickly leaving the room Jo barely made it to the trash can in the hallway before losing her lunch. The swell of nervous nausea that she’d felt earlier came back full force as she leaned her body forward and let the anxiety and fear she’d been feeling for the past hour finally release itself. 

“Woah, you okay there Princess?”

Alex’s voice was for once an unwelcome intrusion as Jo continued to vomit. Her stomach churned uneasily and as much as she knew she needed someone on her side, she couldn’t fight back the edge to her voice, “Leave me alone Alex, I’m not in the mood.”

A hand rested on her back and the feeling had her upright in a flash, fighting the light headed feeling she had as she put space between herself and Alex. He was staring at her with a confused, worry clouding his features the longer he looked at her. 

“Jo, I-“

“I’m fine, let it go,” Jo fixed Alex with a serious stare despite the fact that she’d rather turn around and run the opposite direction. “I have to go.”

She made to walk past Alex, but his hand reached forward to grasp her arm. The sudden movement had Jo yanking her arm back as if she’d been burned by the slight brush. One look at Alex’s concerned expression told her that he would ask again what was wrong, but she didn’t have it in her to argue at the moment. Instead Jo stepped away, returning to the patient room that Meredith was in and pushing away any thoughts of the text she’d gotten or her interaction with Alex or the memories that kept popping into her head as she treated Madeline. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to the Spotify playlist for treacherous: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Siu8LKiwNN3TzZYC00ar0?si=lEX0xDm6SDixsEA2raMkEQ


End file.
